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ORDER  AND  ACCESSION 
DEPARTMENT 


BY 


F.  F.  HOPPER 


PKEPRINT  OF 

MANUAL  OP  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

CHAPTER  XVII 


American  librarp  3lfifiociatlon  |)ubUfi({)infl  ^oart 

78  E.  WASHINGTON  ST.,  CHICAGO,  ILL. 
1911 


^' 


scv^oov 

A.  L.  A.  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

Chap.      I.  "American  Library  History,"  by  C,  K.  Bolton. 

II.  "The  Library  of  Congress,"  by  W.  W.  Bishop. 

IV.  "The  College  and  University  Library,"  by  J.  I. 
Wyer,  Jr. 

XVII.  "Order   and   Accession   Department,"   by   F.    F. 
Hopper. 

XXII.  "Reference  Department,"  by  E.  C.  Richardson. 

XXVI.  "Bookbinding,"  by  A.  L.  Bailey. 

The  above  chapters  are  each  printed  in  a  separate  pamphlet. 
Price  lo  cents  each. 

Projected  chapters  now  in  preparation  are  as  follows: 
"Loan  Department";  "Branches  and  Other  Distributing 
Agencies";  "Pamphlets,  Clippings,  Maps,  Music";  "Book 
Selection";  "Classification";  "Commissions,  State  Aid  and 
State  Agencies";  "Work  with  the  Blind";  "Library  Service"; 
"State  Libraries";  "Fixtures,  Furniture,  Fittings  and  Sup- 
plies"; "Free  Public  Libraries";  "Catalog";  "Shelf  Depart- 
ment"; "Museums,  Art  Galleries,  Lectures";  "Public  Docu- 
ments"; "Libr?.ryXrainiiig";  "Sjxecial Libraries";  "Adminis- 
tration"; "Bil^liography"';  ^"  Public  ^  Library  and  Public 
Schools";  "Library  Work  with  Children";  "Legislation"; 
"Buildings." 


XVII 
ORDER  AND  ACCESSION  DEPARTMENT 

FRANKLIN  F.  HOPPER 
The  Tacoma  Public  Library 

I.   ORGANIZATION 

The  order  and  accession  department  of  a  large  library  should 
be  in  charge  of  some  one  familiar  with  book-trade  conditions, 
prices  and  discounts,  as  well  as  with  books  and  library- 
needs.  Knowledge  of  library  technique  is  a  secondary  consider- 
ation. Certainly,  however,  the  assistants  must  understand 
the  details  of  library  records.  At  the  beginning  of  each  fiscal 
year  the  librarian  or  board  should  determine  the  amount  avail- 
able for  book  purchase  for  each  department,  and  roughly 
apportion  the  amounts  to  be  spent  for  certain  classes  of  books, 
such  as  sets  of  periodicals.  The  head  of  the  department  should 
conduct  the  correspondence,  decide  where  orders  shall  be  placed, 
see  that  the  book  funds  are  spent  as  apportioned,  read  auction 
and  second-hand  catalogs  with  the  librarian  or  reference  libra- 
rian, make  or  at  least  decide  on  the  bids  at  auction  sales,  and  in 
general  see  that  the  book  buying  of  the  library  is  conducted 
in  the  cheapest  and  most  business-like  way.  There  should  be 
an  order  clerk  competent  to  price  books  and  check  bills,  and 
an  accession  clerk.  In  many  libraries  the  accession  work  is  a 
part  of  the  catalog  department.  In  libraries  large  enough  to 
demand  another  assistant  in  the  order  department,  there  is 
usually  one  of  higher  grade  than  the  two  mentioned,  who  has 
charge  of  gifts,  continuations,  and  statistics,  and  has  immediate 
supervision  of  all  records.  Different  libraries  will  necessarily 
vary  the  organization  to  some  extent. 


251'704 


2       •••••'•  MANUAC  'OF  LlBkARY  ECONOMY 

2.   PRINCIPLES  OF  BUYING 

The  cardinal  principle  in  buying  is  business-like  economy  in 
securing  the  best  prices  possible,  always  taking  into  considera- 
tion the  element  of  speed. 

The  first  decision  must  be  as  to  whether  a  book  shall  be 
bought  at  once.  If  so  it  will  be  ordered  in  America  or  imported 
if  the  English  price  be  less.  If  not,  a  slip  will  be  placed  in  a 
*' desirable"  file  awaiting  opportunities  for  cheap  purchase  at 
auction,  at  second  hand,  or  at  "remainder"  prices. 

If  a  number  of  new  copies  of  a  book  are  likely  to  be  needed 
during  a  year  it  is  wise  to  order  them  at  one  time.  This  will 
certainly  mean  economy  in  handling  and  in  many  cases  better 
rates  can  be  obtained. 

Prices  and  service  being  equal,  a  local  dealer  should  receive 
the  business  of  the  library.  The  speed  with  which  books  may 
be  secured  on  approval  and  the  close  relationship  which  may  be 
established  between  dealer  and  library  are  of  great  value.  If 
the  local  dealer  is  unsatisfactory,  it  will  be  best  to  deal  almost 
wholly  with  one  firm  in  a  book  center. 

It  is  generally  considered  unwise  to  make  a  practice  of  asking 
bids  on  lists  of  books.  If  not  exactly  unfair  to  dealers,  it  is  at 
any  rate  poor  business  policy  for  the  library.  Trial  orders  sent 
to  different  jobbers  with  due  insistence  upon  bottom  prices, 
and  subsequent  comparison  of  the  various  bills  will  in  the  long 
run  secure  better  prices.  Occasional  estimates  from  various 
dealers  will  doubtless  give  needed  information  in  regard  to 
the  rates  the  library  should  be  getting. 

Book  agents  should  be  discouraged  and  extremely  few  books 
should  be  bought  by  subscription.  Such  books  as  atlases  it 
may  occasionally  be  necessary  to  buy  in  that  way,  but  there  are 
few  other  exceptions.  Subscriptions  should  not  be  made  with- 
out first  seeing  the  books,  except  in  the  case  of  the  publications 
of  private  presses  and  book  clubs,  which  require  subscriptions 
in  advance  of  printing.    New  editions  of  encyclopedias  and 


ORDER  AND  ACCESSION  DEPARTMENT  3 

in  fact  all  subscription  books  need  careful  examination.  If  a 
subscription  edition  of  a  standard  book  is  for  any  special  reason 
considered  desirable,  it  will  almost  certainly  appear  in  the 
second-hand  trade  at  greatly  reduced  cost  in  a  year's  time,  but 
in  general  subscription  editions  are  not  preferable  to  good  trade 
editions.  If  the  library  must  subscribe,  a  discount  should  be 
demanded,  for  it  can  usually  be  obtained. 

There  are  actually  few  rarities,  although  it  often  requires 
time  to  secure  the  less  common  books  which  only  university  or 
the  largest  public  libraries  are  likely  to  want.  Practically 
everything  the  average  public  library  would  buy  appears  in  the 
auction  or  second-hand  catalogs  repeatedly.  Consequently  a 
library  should  seldom  pay  an  excessive  price  for  any  book,  no 
matter  how  desirable.  There  will  be  other  opportunities  to 
buy  it. 

Speed  in  getting  books  is  often  most  important.  One  of  the 
best  ways  to  secure  new  books  early  is  to  inspect  the  samples  of 
the  publishers'  "travelers"  when  they  come  to  get  orders  from 
local  booksellers,  and  then  order  the  desirable  ones  before  publi- 
cation. 

3.  PRICES  AND  DISCOUNTS 

Until  1901  there  were  no  definite  regulations  in  regard  to 
the  discounts  which  booksellers  gave  to  libraries.  Upon  the 
plea  of  protection  for  the  retail  dealer,  however,  on  February 
13  of  that  year  the  "net  price"  system  was  adopted  at  a  meeting 
of  the  American  Publishers'  Association,  reducing  the  discounts 
to  10  per  cent  to  libraries  for  most  new  books  of  non-fiction. 
The  limitation  of  discounts  was  to  be  removed  one  year  after 
publication.  The  Association  agreed  that  all  copyrighted  books 
first  issued  by  the  members  of  the  Association  after  May  i, 
1901,  should  be  published  at  net  prices  which  the  resolution 
"recommended"  should  be  reduced  from  the  prices  at  which 
similar  books  had  been  issued  theretofore.  It  was  provided 
that  there  should  be  exempt  from  this  agreement  all  school 


4  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

books,  such  works  of  fiction  (not  juveniles)  and  new  editions  as 
the  individual  publisher  might  desire,  books  published  by  sub- 
scription and  not  sold  through  the  trade,  and  such  other  books 
as  were  not  sold  through  the  trade.  The  purely  technical  book 
publishers  were  not  parties  to  the  agreement.  In  accordance 
with  the  "recommendation"  that  list  prices  be  reduced,  libra- 
rians were  given  to  understand  that  the  publishers  would  reduce 
prices  to  such  an  extent  that  the  cost  to  libraries  would  be 
increased  only  from  8  per  cent  to  12  per  cent.  The  expectation 
of  librarians  in  this  respect  was  never  generally  fulfilled,  the 
publishers  maintaining  that  the  increased  cost  of  production 
and  increased  royalties  to  authors  prevented  any  reduction  in 
list  prices.  When  libraries  criticized  the  Association  for  failing 
to  reduce  the  list  prices  the  publishers  replied  that  the  Associa- 
tion had  nothing  to  do  with  fixing  prices,  but  only  with  main- 
taining them,  each  publisher  being  free  to  set  his  own  prices. 
In  February,  1902,  an  additional  rule  was  adopted  by  which 
fiction  issued  by  the  publishers  who  were  members  of  the 
Association  was  sold  to  those  entitled  to  the  10  per  cent  dis- 
count on  non-fiction  at  no  greater  discount  than  33^  per  cent. 
In  January,  1904,  "juveniles"  were  included  in  this  fiction  rule. 
In  January,  1907,  the  American  Publishers'  Association,  because 
of  decisions  of  the  courts  relating  to  combinations  in  restraint 
of  trade,  changed  its  existing  rules  relating  to  net  prices  and  then 
re-enacted  them  in  a  form  in  which  no  agreement  to  maintain 
net  prices  was  stated  formally.  Recommendations  only  were 
made.  Agreements  to  maintain  prices  are  now  made  between  the 
individual  publisher  and  the  booksellers.  The  new  arrange- 
ment has  caused  no  change,  however,  in  the  working  of  the  net- 
price  system  as  far  as  libraries  are  concerned. 

The  books  now  in  print  in  this  country  and  sold  through  the 
trade  may  be  divided  into  the  following  classes: 

I.  New  copyright  non-fiction  on  which  the  discount  to 
libraries  is  limited  to  10  per  cent  within  the  year  following  pub- 


ORDER  AND  ACCESSION  DEPARTMENT  5 

lication.  At  the  expiration  of  the  year,  a  longer  discount  is 
allowed,  but  it  is  rarely  as  much  as  on  "regular"  books,  and  it 
is  not  often  possible  to  obtain  more  than  25  per  cent  discount. 

2.  Fiction  and  juveniles  treated  as  if  they  belonged  to  class 
I.  Few  books  were  published  in  this  class  previous  to  1910, 
when  a  largapart  of  the  fiction  was  issued  at  this  net  or  "fixed" 
price. 

3.  Many  scientific  and  technical  books  published  at  a  "net" 
price  but  not  under  the  same  regulations  as  those  in  class  i. 
The  discounts  obtainable  by  libraries  range  from  10  per  cent 
to  25  per  cent.  '  ^ 

4.  Many  school  and  college  textbooks  published  at  a  "net" 
price.  From  10  per  cent  to  i6f  per  cent  is  the  usual  discount  on 
this  class. 

5.  Imported  books  listed  in  this  country  at  a  "net"  price. 
The  discount  varies,  but  is  usually  short. 

6.  "  Regular  "  books.  Discount  subject  to  no  special  limita- 
tion, but  varies  greatly.  Many  of  the  so-called  "regular" 
books  are  those  on  which  the  copyright  has  expired.  Previous 
to  May,  1901,  most  of  the  new  books  were  "regular,"  but  the 
majority  are  now  published  at  a  net  price. 

7.  From  February,  1902,  until  1909  most  fiction  published 
was  called  "protected."  In  January,  1904,  "juveniles"  were 
included  in  the  same  class.  Discount  to  libraries  was  limited 
to  one-third  within  the  year  following  publication,  but  after 
the  year  a  dealer  was  free  to  give  whatever  discount  he  could 
afford.  Since  the  introduction  of  the  "fixed  price "  fiction  (class 
2)  the  publishers  seem  to  have  stopped  issuing  "protected" 
fiction. 

If  a  new  book  is  to  be  purchased  immediately  and  it  is  found 
that  the  English  price  is  sufficiently  lower  than  the  American  to 
justify  delay,  the  book  will  be  imported.  In  making  the 
decision,  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  most  new  English  books 
of  non-fiction  are  net  books  on  which  there  is  no  discount  given 
to  libraries.  If  the  price  in  this  country  is  net,  one  must  find 
to  which  class  of  net  books  it  belongs.  If  it  has  been  published 
for  more  than  a  year,  and  belongs  to  either  class  i  or  2  (that  is, 
books  published  according  to  the  rules  of  the  American  Pub- 


6  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

Ushers'  Association),  care  must  be  taken  that  the  library  gets  a 
discount  larger  than  lo  per  cent.  Occasionally  it  is  possible 
to  obtain  from  a  dealer  an  extra  long  discount  on  "regular" 
books  if  a  sufficient  number  of  "net"  books  are  ordered  at  the 
same  time.  Publishers  who  are  not  also  jobbers  will  almost 
always  refuse,  in  the  interests  of  the  booksellers,  to  sell  directly 
to  libraries,  although  particularly  large  orders  for  a  few  of  their 
titles  have  sometimes  induced  some  of  them  to  sell  directly  at  a 
special  rate.  If  a  local  dealer  does  not  have  a  good  stock  of  the 
popular  books,  both  juvenile  and  adult,  which  libraries  are 
constantly  buying  and  replacing,  or  if  he  cannot  furnish  them 
at  good  rates,  a  library  should  not  hesitate  to  buy  them  from  the 
large  city  jobbers.  The  jobbers  usually  have  regular  rates  of  dis- 
count on  the  books  of  the  seven  different  classes  and  sometimes 
of  different  publishers.  If  a  trial  order  given  to  another  jobber 
shows  that  certain  classes  of  books  or  even  certain  titles  can  be 
secured  more  cheaply  from  him,  it  is  very  likely  that  your  first 
jobber  will  meet  his  rival's  figures  or  even  beat  them  in  order 
to  retain  your  business.  It  is  wise  to  deal  mostly  with  one  job- 
ber, but  the  buyer  must  never  forget  or  let  the  jobber  forget  that 
there  are  competitors  who  are  after  business.  It  sometimes 
happens  that  a  library  buys  every  year  a  very  large  number  of 
certain  titles,  probably  "juveniles."  If  the  English  edition  is 
cheaper  than  the  American,  the  Hbrary  will  import,  although  it 
may  be  inconvenient  to  do  so  because  of  the  difficulty  of  getting 
many  copies  of  a  book  through  the  custom  house  in  one  year. 
The  lower  English  price,  however,  compels  the  library  to  import 
as  many  as  it  can.  The  American  publisher  of  the  book  natu- 
rally does  not  like  to  see  large  orders  for  his  own  importations 
going  to  England,  and  he  may  be  induced  to  sell  the  books  to 
your  jobber  at  such  special  rates  that  the  jobber  will  be  able  to 
meet  the  English  prices  to  the  library.  The  buyer  for  the 
library  must  never  forget  that  libraries  are  an  important  factor 
in  the  book  market,  not  only  because  they  get  such  large  num- 


ORDER  AND  ACCESSION  DEPARTMENT  7 

bers  of  books,  but  because  they  are  practically  the  only  buyers  of 
many  items  in  the  publishers'  lists,  because  they  keep  many 
books  in  print  by  their  orders  for  replacements,  and  because 
library  business  is  sure  pay. 

4.   COPYRIGHT  AND  IMPORTATIONS 

The  copyright  laws  of  the  United  States,  contained  in  the 
law  approved  March  4,  1909,  allow  the  importation,  in  one 
invoice,  of  one  copy  of  any  authorized  edition  of  a  book  in 
English  even  if  it  has  American  copyright,  when  imported  for 
use  and  not  for  sale  by  any  school,  university,  or  free  public 
library.  The  importation  of  pirated  editions  is  prohibited. 
Additional  copies  may  be  imported  in  subsequent  invoices,  and 
by  a  ruling  of  the  United  States  Treasury  Department,  a  copy 
may  be  imported  for  each  branch  of  a  public  library,  a  branch 
being  considered  as  a  separate  library  (see  Treasury  decisions 
under  tariff  and  internal  revenue  laws,  etc.,  1898,  vol.  i,  pp. 
40-41).  As  the  larger  importers  receive  shipments  each  week, 
one  copy  of  a  book  can  be  imported  by  them  each  week  for  each 
library  and  for  each  branch.  It  is  necessary  to  make  an  oath 
before  a  notary  preliminary  to  free  entry  for  each  shipment, 
declaring  that  the  books  are  imported  for  use  of  the  library 
named  and  not  for  sale.  The  importer  must  also  make  oath  on 
the  same  sheet  that  he  has  imported  the  listed  books  solely  for 
said  library.  In  addition  a  receipt  for  every  lot  of  books  so 
imported  must  be  filed  within  90  days  of  entry.  Neither  oaths 
nor  receipts  are  required  for  books  in  foreign  languages  or  books 
in  English  more  than  twenty  years  old,  but  for  dictionaries  and 
works  consisting  of  plates  without  text  or  with  index  only,  which 
are  considered  dutiable  at  the  regular  25  per  cent  rate,  papers 
for  free  entry  for  libraries  are  required. 

English  books  may  be  imported  through  London  agents  or 
American  importers.  Most  libraries  find  that  for  small  orders 
it  is  cheaper  to  buy  through  the  importer,  who  will  pay  all 


8  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

customs  and  carriage  charges.  For  the  largest  orders  and  for 
second-hand  books  London  agents  are  probably  the  most  effect- 
ive, but  for  such  importations  an  additional  cost  of  at  least  5 
per  cent  must  be  reckoned  for  case,  cartage,  insurance,  consular 
invoice  (for  a  shipment  of  the  value  of  $100),  freight,  broker's 
fee  on  this  side,  and  transportation  from  the  dock  to  the  library. 
Boxes  from  English  agents  are  usually  sent  in  bond  to  local 
customs  house.  For  books  in  foreign  languages  the  New  York 
importer  is  more  prompt  and  his  prices  are  about  the  same  as 
those  of  a  continental  agent.  The  former  has  already  in  stock 
many  of  the  foreign  books  on  library  orders,  and  consequently 
the  delay  of  importing  is  saved.  The  prices  of  many  foreign 
books,  particularly  French  books,  as  listed  in  the  trade  bibliog- 
raphies, are  for  unbound  copies.  Many  libraries  direct  that 
such  books  be  bound  abroad,  where  the  work  is  done  cheaply 
and  well.  For  picking  up  out-of-print  or  second-hand  books, 
the  continental  agent  is  usually  better  than  the  importer. 
Neither  English  nor  other  foreign  books  should  be  imported 
through  a  local  bookseller.  The  importers  usually  charge  at 
the  following  rates,  f .o.b.  New  York. 

20  to  22  cents  per  shilling. 

25  cents  per  shilling  for  net  books. 

25  to  27  cents  per  shilling  for  second-hand  books. 

20  to  22  cents  per  mark. 
18  to  19  cents  per  franc. 
18  to  19  cents  per  lira. 

21  cents  per  peseta. 
45  cents  per  florin. 

30  cents  per  kroner  (Scandinavian). 
65  cents  per  rouble. 

22  cents  per  krone  (Austrian,  Hungarian,  etc.). 

Books  may  now  be  sent  by  mail  from  abroad  very  cheaply. 
Although  there  is  a  good  chance  of  their  being  damaged,  it  is 
obvious  that  for  books  wanted  in  a  hurry,  or  for  very  small 
orders,  it  may  be  wise  for  libraries  to  get  them  by  mail. 


ORDER  AND  ACCESSION  DEPARTMENT  9 

Packages  should  not  be  registered  or  there  will  be  the  trouble 
of  making  declarations  before  customs  oflScials.  Books  can 
be  sent  from  England  at  the  rate  of  8  cents  per  pound,  from 
France  and  Switzerland  at  10  cents  per  pound,  and  from  Ger- 
many at  12  cents  per  pound  in  parcels  weighing  not  over  four 
pounds.  A  parcel-post  service  has  also  been  introduced  between 
Germany  and  the  United  States,  and  England  and  the  United 
States,  at  12  cents  per  pound,  limit  eleven  pounds  for  each 
parcel.  Much  trouble  will  be  avoided  if  all  books  from  Canada 
are  sent  by  mail  unregistered,  not  by  express. 

Small  libraries  usually  find  it  is  impractical  to  separate  orders 
for  the  English  from  the  American  books.  Reliable  jobbers 
in  the  large  cities  will  import  English  books  for  them,  sending 
the  necessary  oaths  to  the  librarian.  Small  libraries  do  not 
often  contain  the  trade  bibliographies  necessary  for  a  compari- 
son of  English  and  American  prices,  and  if  they  do  the  librarians 
cannot  spend  the  time  for  investigations. 

5.   AUCTION  AND  SECOND-HAND  BUYING 

Buying  at  auction  and  second  hand  is  the  only  way  in  which 
a  library  can  get  many  of  the  most  important  books,  those  long 
out  of  print.  It  is  wise  to  have  a  file  of  cards  for  out-of-print 
books  which  it  is  hoped  to  find  in  auction  or  second-hand  cata- 
logs, for  recent  books  which  it  is  hoped  to  pick  up  cheaply, 
and  for  fiction  and  miscellaneous  standard  books  which  can  be 
found  at  cheap  prices  either  in  the  second-hand  catalogs  or  more 
easily  by  personal  visits  to  the  second-hand  shops.  These  cards 
should  show  favorable  prices  that  are  quoted  in  the  catalogs 
from  time  to  time.  Most  books  can  be  bought  more  cheaply 
by  wise  auction  buying  than  at  second  hand.  The  second-hand 
dealers  get  much  of  their  stock  at  auction  sales  at  bargain  prices 
and  libraries  should  do  likewise.  In  buying:  sets  of  periodicals, 
however,  it  is  probably  better  to  purchase  from  reliable  dealers 
who  make  a  specialty  of  this  line,  for  the  perfection  guaranteed 


lO  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

is  worth  the  extra  money  it  costs.  Recent  books  of  a  popular 
character,  such  as  biographies,  travels,  histories,  can  be  picked 
up  for  half  the  price  of  publication  within  a  short  time  from 
second-hand  dealers,  particularly  English  dealers,  such  as  Mudie. 
Subscription  books  are  frequently  found  soon  after  publication 
in  auction  catalogs,  and  in  the  catalogs  of  both  American  and 
English  second-hand  dealers,  at  a  fraction  of  their  original  cost. 
Fiction  (not  too  new)  and  added  copies  of  popular  standard 
books  can  be  obtained  at  cheap  rates  from  American  second- 
hand dealers,  but  it  is  desirable  to  see  second-hand  fiction  before 
buying,  in  order  to  be  sure  that  edition  and  condition  are  satis- 
factory. Orders  from  American  catalogs  should  go  direct  to  the' 
dealer.  If  the  library  has  an  agent  in  the  same  city  as  the  dealer, 
the  books  should  be  sent  to  the  agent  for  inclosure  to  the  library, 
to  avoid  express  charges.  Personal  visits  to  the  second-hand 
dealers  are  certainly  to  be  preferred  to  the  practice  of  sending 
lists,  particularly  of  fiction  to  be  picked  out  from  stock. 
Children's  books  in  proper  editions  are  difficult  to  find  in  second- 
hand shops,  and  inspection  previous  to  purchase  is  particularly 
desirable.  Many  consider  second-hand  children's  books  danger- 
ous because  of  possible  exposure  to  contagious  diseases.  Visits 
to  second-hand  shops  are  advisable  for  building  up  a  "stock" 
collection,  that  is  a  collection  of  the  most  popular  books  bought 
at  bargain  prices  which  can  be  drawn  upon  for  replacements 
and  added  copies.  It  does  not  pay  to  buy  second-hand  fiction 
in  England.  If  out-of-print  books  are  wanted  quickly  the 
library  must  advertise  in  the  Publisher's  weekly  "  Books  Wanted  " 
columns  or  in  similar  columns  in  other  periodicals,  although 
books  secured  in  this  way  usually  cost  more  than  if  picked  up 
at  auction.  Never  advertise  in  this  country  through  a  dealer. 
It  is  cheaper,  quicker,  and  better  for  a  library  to  advertise 
directly.  For  English  and  other  foreign  books,  however,  the 
importer  or  preferably  the  foreign  agent  should  conduct  the 
advertising,  the  librarian  always  naming  the  highest  price  he 


ORDER  AND  ACCESSION  DEPARTMENT  ii 

is  willing  to  pay,  unless  he  is  willing  to  wait  for  quotations  to 
be  submitted. 

It  is  doubtless  true  that  the  librarian  of  a  small  library  has 
no  time  to  read  auction  catalogs,  but  it  is  the  best  way  economi- 
cally, and  gradually  but  surely,  to  build  up  a  good  collection. 
Some  libraries  of  from  15,000  to  25,000  volumes  find  it  possible 
and  advantageous  to  spend  some  time  reading  catalogs  of 
second-hand  books  if  not  auction  catalogs.  On  common  books 
a  bid  of  one-third  the  price  of  publication  will  yield  excellent 
results.  For  the  more  expensive  books,  records  of  sales  recorded 
in  "American  book  prices  current,"  in  the  similar  English 
records,  or  in  the  best  catalogs  of  second-hand  dealers,  must 
be  consulted.  Bids  should  usually  be  not  much  in  excess  of 
the  lowest  prices  recorded.  There  are  few  books  which  do 
not  repeatedly  appear  in  the  auction  catalogs,  and  a  book  not 
secured  at  the  first  bidding  can  probably  be  got  in  a  short  time 
at  another  sale.  If  the  "library  cannot  afford  to  bid  what  a 
book  is  worth  or  what  it  is  likely  to  bring,  that  is  no  reason 
why  a  very  low  bid  should  not  be  made.  Many  valuable  items 
are  in  this  way  often  picked  up  very  cheaply.  Bids  may  be 
sent  on  the  blanks  provided,  either  to  the  auctioneer  direct, 
who  will  execute  the  bids  with  no  charge,  or  to  a  regular  agent 
who  will  attend  the  sales  and  charge  a  commission.  For  the 
smaller  libraries  it  is  doubtless  best  to  send  directly  to  the 
auctioneer.  Libraries  which  do  much  buying  at  auction  find 
it  better  to  have  a  thoroughly  reliable  agent  who  can  be 
depended  upon  to  carefully  inspect  the  books,  to  secure  the 
items  the  libraries  want  at  a  price  as  much  below  the  limit  set 
as  possible,  to  pick  up  real  bargains  which  he  knows  the  libraries 
will  want,  and  to  report  back  to  the  libraries  the  prices  brought 
by  the  items  he  did  not  secure.  The  advantage  of  this  report 
on  prices  is  that  they  may  be  noted  on  the  order  card,  which  can 
again  be  filed  in  the  "desirable"  file.  This  additional  informa- 
tion will  be  valuable  when  it  is  time  to  bid  again  on  the  item. 


12  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

The  "notable"  sales  are  to  be  avoided,  as  books  sell  at  higher 
prices. 

There  are  a  number  of  dealers  who  make  a  specialty  of 
"remainders,"  which  can  often  be  secured  at  one-third  to  one- 
half  the  prices  of  publication,  in  perfect  condition.  ''Remain- 
ders" is  the  trade  name  for  the  copies  of  certain  books  left  on 
the  hands  of  the  publishers  when  the  sale  has  become  so  slow 
that  he  can  no  longer  afford  to  give  them  shelf  room.  He 
sells  them  to  dealers  in  new  or  second-hand  books  at  so  low  a 
price  that  the  dealers  can  afford  to  dispose  of  them  cheaply. 
Many  books  sent  to  newspaper  offices  for  review  are  thrown 
on  the  market  at  cheap  prices  soon  after  publication. 

6.   EXCHANGES,   SALE  DUPLICATES,   AND   GIFTS 

Excellent  use  of  library  publications  is  possible  in  obtaining 
similar  publications  from  other  libraries,  and  the  publications  of 
many  societies  and  institutions.  Usually  two  records  are  kept 
of  these  exchanges  of  library  publications,  a  mailing  list  of 
libraries  to  which  reports,  bulletins,  etc.,  are  sent,  and  a  card 
check  list  for  similar  publications  currently  received. 

The  exchange  of  duplicates  has  not  been  developed  as  much 
as  would  seem  to  be  advantageous.  Every  library  receives 
gifts  of  books  not  needed,  perhaps  because  there  may  be  copies 
already  in  the  library.  Gradually  these  books  become  a  large 
collection,  increased  perhaps  by  withdrawals  of  unused  books 
from  branches.  Many  libraries  put  all  such  books  together 
in  one  alphabetical  file,  and  some  very  large  libraries  separate 
them  into  two  groups,  (i)  those  that  may  have  a  demand  in 
the  future  and  those  that  have  value  to  some  other  library, 
and  (2)  those  that  are  of  such  slight  value  that  exchange  with 
other  libraries  is  out  of  the  question.  These  latter  are  sometimes 
set  aside  for  sale  in  bulk  by  auction  or  to  a  dealer.  The  first 
group  is  sometimes  arranged  in  broad  classes.  As  opportunity 
allows,  these  duplicate  books,  certainly  those  in  class  one,  may 


ORDER  AND  ACCESSION  DEPARTMENT  13 

be  listed,  and  the  lists  sent  to  other  libraries  on  cards  or  type- 
written lists,  or  published  in  bulletins  or  annual  reports,  or, 
where  the  duplicate  collection  is  very  large,  it  has  been  found 
useful  to  print  lists  of  "Offers"  on  exchange  account  such  as 
those  sent  out  by  the  Library  of  Congress  on  galley  strips. 
If  books  have  slight  money  value  there  is  no  valuation  affixed 
to  the  titles  on  the  list  and  they  are  exchanged  on  the  basis  of 
the  number  of  volumes.  More  valuable  books  are  exchanged 
on  a  price  basis.  The  lists  of  "Wants"  which  the  Library  of 
Congress  prints  in  the  same  way  as  the  lists  of  "Offers"  are  also 
suggestive  as  to  what  other  large  libraries  may  do.  A  despised 
collection  of  duplicates  can  be  made  very  valuable  for  exchange 
purposes,  but  there  is  as  yet  little  attention  paid  to  it  in  most 
libraries.  If  all  large  libraries  will  publish  in  their  annual 
reports  and  bulletins  titles  of  value  that  they  have  for  exchange, 
indicating  "Wants"  at  the  same  time,  much  can  be  accom- 
plished. Many  books  which  do  not  contain  library  stamps  can 
be  exchanged  with  second-hand  dealers  to  advantage.  Dealers 
will  visit  libraries  to  see  what  the  duplicates  are.  Most  libraries 
keep  few  duplicates  of  United  States  documents,  since  these 
can  be  shipped  back  to  the  Superintendent  of  Documents,  who 
supplies  franks.  The  idea  of  central  clearing-houses  for  dupli- 
cates has  frequently  been  considered,  but  to  little  advantage. 
However  some  state  libraries  have  performed  excellent  service 
as  clearing-houses  for  odd  numbers  of  magazines. 

The  records  of  exchanges  of  duplicates  are  usually  kept  either 
on  cards  or  in  a  loose-leaf  exchange  ledger,  the  cards  or  the  sheets 
being  arranged  alphabetically  by  libraries.  In  one  column  is 
kept  the  record  of  the  number  of  volumes  and  pamphlets  sent 
out  and  in  another  column  the  number  received.  In  case  of 
priced  exchanges  the  value  of  each  title  or  of  each  shipment  is 
recorded. 

A  printed  form  should  not  be  used  in  soliciting  gifts;  a 
courteous  letter,  written  with  care,  should  be  the  means  used. 


14  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

In  general  all  gifts  offered  should  be  accepted,  unless  impossible 
conditions  are  attached.  It  is  desirable  that  the  donor  grant 
the  library  the  privilege  of  using  the  gift  for  exchange  if  it 
ever  becomes  of  no  use  on  the  library  shelves.  It  is  possible 
to  obtain  many  state,  municipal,  and  society  publications  if 
proper  request  is  made.  If  the  library  has  its  own  publications 
for  exchange,  a  mention  of  willingness  to  send  such  publications 
in  return  for  the  gift  sought  will  greatly  increase  the  books  a  li- 
brary may  secure  in  this  way.  All  gifts  should  be  acknowledged 
promptly,  and  a  record  made  on  a  card  under  the  name  of  the 
donor.  The  card  should  contain,  in  addition,  the  address  of 
the  donor,  a  list  of  the  gifts,  the  number  of  volumes,  and  the 
date  received.  If  needed  for  statistics  the  cards  can  be  kept 
for  a  month  or  a  year  in  a  temporary  file,  and  later  be  transferred 
to  a  permanent  file.  A  careful  line  should  be  drawn  between 
books  received  as  gifts  and  those  received  as  exchanges. 

A  small  library  can  do  but  little  with  exchanges,  except 
perhaps  in  exchanging  odd  numbers  of  periodicals  through  a 
clearing-house,  but  it  should  not  hesitate  to  seek  gifts  because 
it  has  no  library  publications  to  exchange. 

7.  ORDER  RECORDS  AND  THE  CHECKING  OF  BILLS 

There  should  be  a  file  of  outstanding  orders,  the  cards  being 
arranged  alphabetically  by  authors'  names.  A  simple  form  of 
order  card  containing  few  details  is  recommended.  These 
cards  should  contain  author's  surname,  initials  of  his  first  and 
middle  names  (the  first  name  in  full  if  there  is  no  middle  name), 
brief  title,  volume  number  or  number  of  volumes,  edition, 
publisher,  price,  year  of  publication,  and,  if  purchase  has  been 
requested  by  anyone,  that  person's  name  and  address.  Where 
importation  is  considered,  it  is  wise  to  give  both  English  and 
American  prices  and  publishers.  Where  books  are  ordered  for 
branches  as  well  as  for  a  central  library,  or  for  different  depart- 
ments of  a  university,  a  simple  printed  form  is  usually  devised 


ORDER  AND  ACCESSION  DEPARTMENT  15 

giving  names  of  branches  or  departments,  space  for  number  of 
copies,  and  date.  If  the  library  is  a  large  public  library,  one 
order  file  for  the  central  library  and  another  for  the  branches  is 
usually  considered  advisable.  When  the  order  is  sent  the  name 
of  the  dealer  and  date  of  the  order  should  be  stamped  on  the 
card.  The  typewritten  order  list  (sometimes  a  part  of  a  letter 
to  the  dealer)  is  arranged  either  by  publishers  or  alphabetically 
by  authors,  and  edition,  publisher,  and  Hst  price  specified.  A 
letter-press  or  carbon  copy  of  the  list  should  be  kept  at  the 
library.  Some  libraries  use  an  order  slip  copied  in  triplicate 
by  the  use  of  carbon  paper  laid  between  the  order  slips.  One 
copy  is  kept  at  the  library  for  the  order  file,  one  copy  is  sent  to 
bookseller,  and  the  third  copy  is  used  for  ordering  Library 
of  Congress  cards.  If  these  cards  are  to  be  ordered  the  serial 
number  should  be  put  on  the  order  card  when  the  prices  are 
looked  up.  Sometimes  a  carbon  copy  of  the  order  slip  is  sent  to 
a  branch  which  may  be  ordering  the  book.  The  bookseller's 
copy  of  the  order  slip  should  be  returned  when  the  order  is 
filled.  For  books  bid  for  at  auction,  the  date  of  the  sale,  num- 
ber of  item  in  the  catalog,  and  name  of  the  auction  firm  should 
be  given  on  the  card,  which  should  be  filed  among  regular 
outstanding  orders. 

Dealers  should  arrange  the  items  on  bills  alphabetically,  and 
when  books  and  bills  are  received,  the  cards  should  be  drawn 
from  the  order  file.  Working  from  the  bill,  it  is  convenient  to 
place  the  books  on  a  truck;  then  working  from  invoice  and  cards 
together  to  make  sure  of  correctness  of  charges  and  editions, 
the  source  and  price,  with  date  of  bill  if  desired,  should  be 
marked  in  each  book,  or  in  the  first  volume  only  of  a  set.  Writ- 
ing the  price  in  cipher  is  not  recommended;  it  takes  too  much 
time.  Some  libraries  do  not  write  price,  etc.,  in  book,  but 
put  order  card  in  the  book  until  the  accession  work  is  done. 
In  checking  the  bill,  the  branch  or  department  for  which  the 
item  is  wanted  may  be  indicated  opposite  the  charge,  for  later 


1 6  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

distribution.  The  date  of  receipt  (or  date  of  the  invoice) 
should  be  stamped  on  the  card  and  on  the  invoice,  and  if  books 
are  accessioned,  it  is  desirable  to  have  them  entered  under  the 
same  date.  Some  libraries  put  the  cards  back  in  the  same  file, 
but  a  separate  file  for  books  received  is  the  more  general  custom. 
The  cards  should  remain  in  this  file  until  the  books  are  cata- 
loged, or,  if  there  is  plenty  of  room,  it  may  be  desirable  to  keep 
cards  for  replacements,  added  copies,  and  branch  books  for 
six  months  or  a  year,  or  a  sufficient  length  of  time  to  answer 
all  reasonable  questions  that  may  arise  concerning  them. 

Some  university  libraries  do  not  keep  the  order  cards  after 
the  accession  record  has  been  made  but  return  them  to  the 
department  that  ordered  the  books  as  notice  that  the  books  have 
been  received.  Some  libraries  use  the  order  cards  permanently 
for  shelf-list  cards  as  they  contain  a  good  deal  of  useful  informa- 
tion. In  even  very  small  libraries  an  order  record  on  slips  is 
very  desirable  since  there  is  always  danger  of  duplication,  even 
though  the  librarian  may  think  she  knows  the  collection  per- 
fectly, and  since  the  slips  can  be  used  after  the  book  is  cataloged 
for  either  accession  record  or  for  shelf  list. 

Some  large  libraries  with  numerous  branches  find  it  useful 
to  have  a  card  list  of  books  which  are  likely  to  be  duplicated  or 
replaced.  Full  notes  of  desirable  editions,  publishers,  prices, 
etc.,  save  much  time  in  ordering  again. 

Generally  libraries  keep  a  separate  file  for  continuations, 
such  as  annual  publications,  books  coming  out  in  parts,  sets 
appearing  by  the  volume,  and  books  in  series  when  the  order 
has  been  entered  for  the  whole  series.  A  so-called  "continua- 
tion" order  is  a  great  convenience,  since  it  obviates  the  necessity 
of  ordering  each  year  such  a  publication  as  a  city  directory  or 
the  annual  report  of  a  society.  Generally  speaking,  a  continua- 
tion order  for  such  a  series  as  many  of  the  series  of  biographies 
is  not  advisable,  since  almost  always  the  series  will  contain  some 
books  which  are  not  particularly  desirable.     The  "continua- 


ORDER  AND  ACCESSION  DEPARTMENT  17 

tions"  file  generally  includes  state  and  United  States  govern- 
ment documents  which  are  received  from  time  to  time.  Some 
libraries  put  an  order  card  for  such  a  publication  as  the  Cam- 
bridge modern  history  (which  appears  a  volume  at  a  time)  in 
the  regular  order  file  and  other  libraries  in  the  "continuations" 
file.  It  is  often  necessary  to  look  in  both  files  to  find  whether 
a  book  has  been  ordered  or  received.  Some  libraries  put  the 
"gift  continuations"  in  still  another  file,  but  this  is  not  the 
common  custom.  The  main  idea  of  the  "continuations"  file 
is  analogous  to  that  of  the  record  of  current  periodicals.  The 
file  should  be  checked  over  frequently,  and  requests  sent  for 
volumes  that  are  overdue.  Usually  a  specially  printed  card 
is  used  giving  space  for  author  and  title  (such  as,  American 
Society  of  Mechanical  Engineers.  Transactions),  name  and 
address  of  secretary  of  the  society,  publisher  and  his  address, 
frequency  of  publication,  whether  gift  or  purchase,  name  of 
agent,  price  and  cost  of  each  volume,  dates  of  publication,  date 
of  original  order  and  call  number  of  the  set  in  the  library.  There 
should  also  be  as  many  spaces  as  possible  on  the  card  for  the 
number  of  each  volume  received,  the  year  of  its  publication,  and 
the  date  of  its  receipt.  Some  of  the  library-supply  houses  make 
special  cards  for  use  in  a  "continuations"  file. 

A  stock  record  of  the  books  already  in  the  library,  those 
added,  withdrawn,  or  lost  and  of  the  resulting  number  still  in 
the  collection  should  be  kept  in  the  order  department.  It 
will  be  wise  to  keep  these  statistics  up  to  date.  A  very  simple 
form  can  easily  be  devised. 

8.   COLLATION 

Some  libraries  formerly  collated  all  books,  but  the  process 
is  a  very  expensive  one,  and  publishers  are  usually  ready  to 
make  good  the  imperfections  even  if  discovered  years  after  the 
books  were  bought.  Consequently  the  general  practice  now 
is  to  collate  only  books  above  a  definite  value.    A  quick  glance 


i8  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

through  a  book  when  it  is  being  checked  or  accessioned  will 
take  little  time  and  usually  discloses  any  defacement. 

9.   THE  ACCESSION  BOOK 

Accession  records,  or  chronological  lists  of  books  added  to 
the  library,  are  kept  in  three  different  ways. 

The  first  and  general  one  is  either  the  A.L.A.  standard  or 
the  condensed  accession  book.  Full  directions  for  use  are  in  the 
front  of  each  accession  book.  The  lines  are  numbered  con- 
secutively and  each  volume  requires  a  line.  The  number  of 
each  line,  called  the  accession  number,  is  usually  stamped  or 
written  on  the  first  page  after  the  title-page,  about  an  inch 
from  the  bottom  and  exactly  in  the  middle  of  the  page.  Stamp- 
ing on  the  reverse  of  the  title-page  should  be  avoided  as  it 
will  injure  the  back  of  the  book.  If  desired,  a  complete  history 
of  each  book  may  be  kept  by  noting  withdrawal  in  the  remarks 
column.  It  is  possible  to  omit  some  of  the  entries  for  which 
space  is  provided,  as  call  number,  size,  binding,  and  paging. 
Unless  books  are  accessioned  after  being  cataloged,  entering 
call  numbers  in  the  accession  book  takes  too  much  time.  It 
saves  time  to  accession  books  immediately  after  the  invoice  is 
checked,  and  as  neither  an  absolutely  correct  form  of  author's 
name  nor  an  entry  of  call  number  in  the  accession  book  is  neces- 
sary, most  libraries  consider  it  wise  to  accession  before  catalog- 
ing. It  may  also  be  said  that  a  book  may  be  loaned  to  a  reader 
immediately  after  the  accession  record  is  made,  but  if  he  has  to 
wait  for  cataloging  (a  much  slower  process)  and-  subsequent 
accessioning,  the  delay  may  easily  be  too  great. 

A  second  method  now  much  used  by  large  libraries,  and  said 
to  save  time,  records  accessions  by  lots.  The  bills  of  each 
dealer  are  numbered  chronologically  for  each  year,  and  filed 
first  alphabetically  and  second  numerically.  The  accession 
number  consists  of  the  initial  or  name  of  the  dealer  followed  by 
the  bill  number  and  the  last  two  figures  of  the  current  year. 


ORDER  AND  ACCESSION  DEPARTMENT  19 

For  example,  the  sixth  bill  from  McClurg  in  1908  would  receive 
the  number  M608  or  McClurg  608.  This  number  is  put  in  the 
accession  book,  on  the  bill,  and  on  the  shelf  cards.  For  the 
form  of  book  used  and  description  of  the  method  consult  Miss 
Stearns's  pamphlet  Essentials  in  library  administration  (A.L.A. 
Library  tract  no.  6),  pp.  45-46.  For  gifts  a  memorandum  is 
made  in  the  form  of  a  bill  and  books  added  by  binding  are 
accessioned  from  the  binding  bill.  Since  pubHsher,  price,  and 
date,  as  well  as  the  accession  number,  must  be  entered  on  the 
shelf  cards,  it  is  doubtful  if  this  method  takes  much  less  time 
than  the  more  general  method  of  accessioning  one  book  to  a 
line.  The  form  of  the  book  used  in  accessioning  by  lot  gives 
spaces  for  recording  withdrawals  and  for  balancing  additions 
and  withdrawals.  This  combination  of  an  accession  and  stock 
record  is  simple  and  good. 

A  third  method  of  accessioning  is  that  of  the  substitution  of 
order  cards  for  accession  book.  As  used  by  the  Public  library 
of  the  District  of  Columbia,  this  method  is  proving  successful 
and  time  saving.  The  order  cards  first  contain  the  usual  infor- 
mation, but  after  bills  are  checked,  cost-price,  binding  (when 
other  than  cloth),  and  date  of  bill  are  noted  on  the  cards. 
Corresponding  numbers  are  given  to  books  and  cards,  and  the 
cards  are  filed  again  under  author  in  order  or  receipt  indexes. 
When  the  books  are  cataloged  and  the  catalog  cards  filed,  the 
order  cards  are  withdrawn  from  the  order  of  receipt  index, 
where  they  stand  according  to  author,  and  filed  in  the  accession 
list  according  to  number.  The  last  accession  number  is  found 
from  a  card  kept  at  the  back  of  the  accession  file  on  which  at 
the  close  of  each  day  this  last  number  is  written.  A  separate 
record  is  kept  daily  of  the  number  of  gifts  accessioned.  This 
is  for  monthly  statistics.  When  duplicate  copies  of  a  book  are 
received  at  one  time,  the  inclusive  numbers  are  placed  on  the 
face  of  the  card,  and  the  intervening  numbers  separately  on  the 
back.    Space  is  left  alongside  each  number  for  indicating  to 


20  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

which  branch  a  book  is  sent  and  also  for  noting  withdrawaL  A 
separate  slip  is  required  for  each  volume  of  periodicals  or  other 
continuations  if  added  at  different  times.  For  libraries  which 
do  not  care  for  much  bibliographical  detail  in  the  records  of 
their  books,  or  for  those  which  note  bibliographical  detail  on 
their  catalog  cards,  this  method  of  accessioning  is  doubtless 
an  excellent  one. 


lO.   BUYING  REPLACEMENTS  AND  DUPLICATES 

The  selection  of  replacements  and  books  to  be  duplicated  is 
usually  not  made  by  the  order  department.  In  most  large 
libraries  the  custom  is  to  send  the  book  slips  or  other  record 
of  all  books  withdrawn  or  lost  to  the  order  department,  with 
indications  as  to  which  books  are  to  be  replaced.  It  is  the 
custom  in  some  libraries  to  mark  on  the  shelf-list  the  number  of 
copies  of  each  book  which  it  is  desirable  to  have  permanently. 
Then  by  reference  to  the  shelf-list  it  is  easy  to  decide  quickly 
whether  a  certain  copy  needs  to  be  replaced.  Some  libraries 
are  finding  it  very  useful  to  have  a  permanent  file  of  all  titles 
approved  for  replacement  and  duplication,  with  notes  of  desir- 
able editions,  publishers,  and  prices.  Such  a  file  expedites 
the  work  of  ordering  and  may  also  help  whoever  decides  on  the 
copies  to  be  replaced.  If  the  only  copy  of  a  book  a  library  has 
is  to  be  replaced,  it  is  usually  desirable  to  secure  it  quickly, 
particularly  if  the  cards  are  left  in  the  catalog  during  the  pro- 
cess of  replacement.  In  sending  to  the  order  department  lists 
of  books  to  be  replaced  or  duplicates  to  be  ordered,  it  is  wise  to 
indicate  the  speed  with  which  orders  should  be  filled,  for  it  is 
easy  to  secure  these  books  cheaply  in  the  second-hand  trade  if 
some  time  can  be  allowed.  A  large  part  of  replacements  and 
duplicates  in  public  libraries  are  likely  to  be  children's  books, 
which  in  general  it  is  wise  not  to  try  to  get  at  second  hand. 
Many  libraries  get  much  of  the  fiction  second  hand,  if  sufficiently 


ORDER  AND  ACCESSION  DEPARTMENT  21 

cheap,  and  such  of  the  standards  as  are  permanently  popular 
in  a  special,  strong  library  binding. 

Generally  the  accession  number  of  the  book  to  be  replaced  is 
written  on  the  order  card,  and  when  the  new  copy  is  received  the 
old  number  is  pencilled  near  the  new  accession  number,  so  that, 
in  order  to  preserve  the  history  of  the  book,  this  nimiber  may 
be  entered  in  the  "remarks"  column  of  the  accession  book.  A 
very  simple  method,  now  sometimes  used  and  particularly 
to  be  recommended  to  small  libraries,  is  to  consider  all  replace- 
ments as  duplicates  (added  copies)  and  so  dispense  entirely 
with  the  replacement  records.  Still,  many  libraries  think  it 
best  to  separate  the  two  classes,  and  even  to  record  separately 
the  amount  spent  each  year  for  them.  The  custom  of  giving 
a  replacement  the  old  accession  number  has  been  pretty  gener- 
ally abandoned.  A  separate  record  for  the  new  book  gives 
greater  accuracy.  If  a  lost  book  is  replaced  and  the  new  copy 
is  accessioned  on  the  same  number,  the  original  copy  may  turn 
up  and  cause  confusion,  which  can  be  avoided  by  giving  the 
replacement  a  new  accession  number. 


II.   WITHDRAWALS 

Formerly  most  libraries  kept  withdrawal  books,  in  which 
there  was  an  entry  of  one  book  to  a  line,  like  an  accession  record. 
The  custom  is  no  longer  common,  however,  because  it  is  expen- 
sive and  not  indispensable.  Withdrawals  are  now  usually  shown 
simply  by  marking  the  accession  number  off  the  shelf  list,  and 
by  counting  the  number  each  month  for  statistics.  Many 
libraries  note  in  the  accession  book  when  a  book  is  withdrawn, 
but  this  record  is  not  absolutely  necessary,  although  it  is  a  good 
one  to  have.  A  withdrawal  card  is  sometimes  used  but  it  can 
be  dispensed  with.  In  most  large  libraries  the  order  depart- 
ment keeps  the  records  of  the  total  number  of  books  with- 
drawn as  well  as  the  total  number  added,  the  records  of  the 


22  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

additions  and  withdrawals  by  class  being  kept  in  the  catalog 
department. 

12.   BUYING  PERIODICALS 

The  custom  in  most  libraries  is  to  place  the  yearly  order  for 
American  magazines  with  one  subscription  agency  and  that 
for  all  foreign  magazines  either  with  a  European  agent  who  sends 
them  all  directly  to  the  library  by  mail,  or  with  their  regular 
New  York  book  importer  who  secures  all  the  periodicals  in 
weekly  bales  from  London,  Paris,  or  Leipzig  and  mails  them 
from  the  New  York  office  to  the  library.  The  latter  method  is 
generally  considered  both  cheaper  and  more  satisfactory,  as 
there  is  less  danger  of  damage  and  loss.  Some  very  large 
libraries  find  it  advisable  to  place  subscriptions  for  English 
periodicals  with  one  dealer  and  the  French,  German,  and  other 
subscriptions  with  their  various  agents  for  books  in  those  respec- 
tive tongues.  Very  small  libraries  usually  place  all  subscriptions 
with  one  American  subscription  agent  who  will  supply  the  few 
foreign  periodicals  they  need  at  nearly  as  good  rates  as  do 
importers.  Occasionally  a  library  can  secure  a  better  rate  for  a 
few  periodicals  and  newspapers  by  subscribing  directly  from 
the  publishers.  Most  libraries  prefer  to  place  subscriptions 
for  American  periodicals  with  the  same  agent  year  after  year 
as  long  as  the  service  is  satisfactory,  as  there  is  a  disadvantage 
in  changing  agents.  Agents  handling  a  library's  orders  for  a 
considerable  period  become  acquainted  with  the  library's 
peculiar  demands  and  are  in  some  cases  able  to  save  trouble  by 
forestalling  demands  in  the  way  of  providing  title-pages,  indexes, 
etc.  The  prices  of  magazines  are  sometimes  raised  before  the 
expiration  of  subscriptions.  Agents  usually  know  of  such 
changes  in  advance  and  will  notify  librarians  to  place  their 
orders  for  those  magazines  before  the  change.  If  a  library 
changes  agents  constantly,  such  attention  from  an  agent  cannot 
be  expected.  It  is  doubtful  whether  libraries  now  find  it  profit- 
able to  secure  bids  each  year,  as  the  situation  is  now  (April, 


ORDER  AND  ACCESSION  DEPARTMENT  23 

191 1 )  peculiar.  This  requires  some  explanation.  In  the  fall 
of  1909  a  so-called  "clearing-house"  in  New  York  was  started 
by  about  twenty-five  of  the  leading  magazine  publishers  of 
New  York.  The  subscription  agencies  of  any  size  were  practi- 
cally compelled  to  join  this  organization  and  agree  to  its  rules, 
which  were  made  to  prevent  cutting  of  rates  and  to  force  large 
subscription  agencies  to  clear  all  subscriptions  received  from 
small  agents,  or  the  trade,  through  this  organization,  instead  of 
sending  them  direct  to  the  publishers.  During  the  year  from 
October,  1909,  to  September,  1910,  rates  were  established  below 
which  agents  were  not  supposed  to  sell  to  libraries.  During 
that  year  competition  seemed  to  be  practically  eliminated. 
During  the  fall  of  1910,  however,  the  clearing-house  appeared 
to  be  lax  in  guarding  against  price  cutting.  Besides  inviting 
the  trade  to  send  subscriptions  directly  to  them,  thereby  ignor- 
ing the  large  subscription  agencies  from  a  trade  standpoint,  the 
publishers  who  are  members  of  the  clearing-house  each  started 
his  own  subscription  agency  to  deal  with  the  public  direct. 
They  not  only  invite  business  direct,  but  they  also  through  their 
clearing-house  invite  the  trade  to  send  to  them.  The  rates,  as 
now  established  by  the  publishers,  are  exactly  the  same  for 
libraries  and  for  individuals,  except  that  in  the  case  of  the  public 
generally  the  periodicals  are  not  supposed  to  be  ojBfered  by  items 
but  in  groups.  The  following  example  will  explain  the  situation : 
If  a  librarian  personally  subscribes  for  Current  Literature^ 
Cosmopolitan,  and  Hampton's  Magazine,  he  will  be  charged 
$3.70  for  the  club,  but  this  will  not  be  itemized.  If  he  sub- 
scribes for  these  three  items  for  his  library,  the  figuring  would  be 
as  follows: 

Current  Literature $1  •  75 

Cosmopolitan 85 

Hampton's  Magazine i .  10 

Total $3.70 


24  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

So,  in  the  end  the  library  rates  and  the  clubbing  rates  are  the 
same. 

According  to  clearing-house  rules  at  present  a  library  may 
send  its  list  for  estimates  to  any  of  the  large  agencies  and  when 
they  are  returned  they  should  balance  to  a  cent.  But  since 
October,  1910,  the  agents  have  been  cutting,  although  the 
clearing-house  does  not  admit  it.  It  is  of  course  possible  for 
libraries  to  obtain  the  advantage  of  such  cutting  by  securing 
competitive  bids,  though  as  a  matter  of  fact  the  different  totals 
will  vary  only  slightly.  A  library  should  be  able  to  secure  as 
good  rates  from  one  agency  as  another,  large  or  small.  All 
the  large  agencies  publish  catalogs,  listing  most  magazines  at  a 
catalog  price,  the  minimum  price  to  libraries  or  individuals 
(the  same  to  either,  and  it  may  or  may  not  be  less  than  the 
publisher's  list  price,  which  is  usually  also  given  in  the  catalog). 
Other  magazines  in  the  catalog  have  a  "class  number"  for  use 
in  determining  the  price  at  which  class  pubHcations  may  be  sold 
with  other  publications  in  magazine  clubs.  The  class  number 
may  be  resolved  into  dollars  and  cents  by  multiplying  it  by  5. 
This  class  price  is  not  quoted  to  individuals  on  single  subscrip- 
tions, but  only  on  publications  when  included  in  clubs.  It  appar- 
ently is  not  supposed  to  be  so  quoted  to  libraries  either,  except 
as  they  order  more  than  one  magazine  which  would  be  included 
in  a  club  for  an  individual.  This,  however,  is  done.  The 
situation  in  the  magazine  business  seems  to  be  constantly 
changing  and  libraries  must  watch  the  agents'  catalogs  closely. 
In  general  it  may  be  said  that  the  frequent  changing  of  agents 
is  not  desirable,  but  a  library  should  see  to  it  that  its  agent  is 
giving  the  best  possible  prices. 

It  may  be  added  that  a  few  libraries  have  found  it  possible 
to  obtain  the  best  rates  by  ordering  from  local  dealers  in  current 
periodicals  who  furnish  some  items  from  stock  at  cheaper 
prices  than  the  agencies  give.  This  advantageous  arrangement 
is,  however,  very  unusual. 


ORDER  AND  ACCESSION.  DEPARTMENT  25 

It  is  generally  cheaper  and  easier  to  buy  back  numbers  of 
periodicals  from  the  regular  dealers  in  odd  numbers,  rather  than 
from  the  magazine  publishers.  There  are  a  number  of  such 
dealers  whose  catalogs  are  sent  occasionally  to  practically  all 
libraries.  The  catalogs,  however,  rarely  list  anything  but 
complete  volumes. 

In  buying  complete  volumes  of  periodicals  it  is  necessary 
to  collate  carefully,  for  inaccuracies  are  very  common.  The 
best  dealers  will  make  good  all  imperfections.  It  is  always 
risky  to  buy  volumes  of  magazines  at  auction.  It  is  possible 
to  obtain  from  many  of  the  dealers  back  volumes  of  popular 
periodicals  at  very  reasonable  prices,  but  there  are  only  a 
few  dealers  on  whom  a  library  can  depend  for  the  less  common 
Poole  sets.  Their  charges  are  not  low,  but  the  perfection  they 
guarantee  is  worth  paying  for.  There  are  dealers  who  make  a 
specialty  of  sets  of  technical  periodicals  which  are  usually 
expensive. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

(For  full  bibliography  see  H.  G.  T.   Cannons,  Bibliography  of  library 
economy,  19 10,  pp.  284-99.) 

GENERAL 

Jones,   G.   M.    Accession  department   (with  bibliography).    U.S. 
Education  bureau.    Report,  1892-93,  1:809-26. 
Discussion  of  this  paper  is  in  Library  journal,  1893,  18:  C46-52. 

Brown,  J.  D.    Manual  of  library  economy,  pp.  168-83.    London, 
1907. 

ORGANIZATION 

Baldwin,  Emma  V.    The  order  department  of  a  branch  library 
system.     Public  libraries,   1906,   11:509-11. 

book-buying:  principles  and  methods 
American  library  association.    Committee  on  Book-buying.    Bulle- 
tins.   Library  journal,   29-34;    Public  libraries,  9-13;   A.L.A. 
Booklist  for  1906;    A.L.A.  Bulletin  for  1907-08. 
See  also  the  cards  on  which  many  of  the  Bulletins  were  first  published. 


26  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

Palmer,  W.   M.    The  relationship  of  publishers,  booksellers  and 

librarians.    Library  journal,  1901,  26:031-27. 
Andrews,    C.    W.     The    acquisition    of   books.     Public    libraries, 

1903,  8:195-202. 
Cutter,    W.    P.    Notes   on  book   purchasing   for   small   libraries. 

Library  journal,  1905,  30:18-20. 
Methods  of  book  buying    (symposium).      Library  journal,   1906, 

31:14-17. 

Prentiss,  Mabel  E.    Book  selection  and  purchase  for  small  libraries. 
Public  libraries,  1906,  11:55-59. 

Lord,  Isabel  E.     Some  notes  on  the  principles  and  practice  of  book- 
buying  for  libraries.     Library  journal,  1907,  ;j2:3-ii,  56-64. 
Reprinted  in  pamphlet  form. 

Wyer,  M.  G.    Book  auction  sales  and  second-hand  catalogs.    PubHc 

libraries,  1907,  12:53-56. 
Wright,   P.   B.     Some   book-buying   and   other  library   problems. 

Public  libraries,   1908,  13:120-23,   165-68. 
Dana,  J.  C.    Buying  books.     (In  his  Library  primer.    Ed.  5  rev., 

pp.  68-73.)     1910. 

NET  PRICES 

Publishers'  Association  plan  of  reform.    Publishers'  weekly,  1901, 

59:524-26. 
Bowerman,  G.  F.    The  new  net  price  system  and  public  libraries. 

Library  journal,  1902,  27:134-36. 
Report  of  A.L.A.  Committee  on  relations  with  book   trade   (and 

discussion).    Library  journal,  1902,  27:0142-17. 
Report  of  A.L.A.  Committee  on  relations  with  book   trade   (and 

discussion).    Library  journal,  1903,  28:0134-52. 
Net  prices  and  libraries.    Dial  1904,  36:71-73. 
Bostwick,  A.   E.    Net  book  prices  from   the  library  standpoint. 

Public  libraries,  1905,  10:292-94. 
Plan  of  the  American  Publishers'  Association  adopted  at  a  meeting 

held  January  7,  1907.    Library  journal,  1907,  32 :  20. 


ORDER  AND  ACCESSION  DEPARTMENT  27 

Net  prices  for  books,  in  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States.  Library- 
journal,  1907,  32:146,  393-94.    Editorial. 

Net  fiction  (Report  of  Committee  on  book  buying  and  discussion  at 
A.L.A.  Council  meeting,  January  6,  191 1),  Library  journal, 
36:74-75- 

Net  fiction.    Publishers'  weekly,  March  4,  191 1,  79:1103-7. 


IMPORTATIONS  AND  COPYRIGHT 

Lemcke,  Ernst.    The  librarian  and  the  importer.    Library  journal, 

1897,  22:Ci2-i6. 
Duty-free  importation  by  college  and  incorporated  libraries.    Library 

journal,  1907,  32:502-4. 
New    copyright    law.     Publishers'  weekly,   March   13,    1909,   75: 

1090-91.    Editorial. 
Text  of  the  new  copyright  bill.    Publishers'  weekly,  March  13,  1909, 

75:1092-99. 

Putnam,  G.  H.    Analysis  of  new  copyright  law.     Publishers'  weekly, 

March  13,  1909,  75:1100-5. 
Cutter,  W.  P.    New    copyright   law.    Public  libraries,  1909,  14: 

133-34. 
New  copyright  law.    Public  libraries,  1909,  14:128.    Editorial. 
Putnam,  G.  H.    Copyright  in  its  relation  to  libraries.    Library 

journal,  1909,  34:58-60. 

Note. — For  the  history  of  the  copyright  agitation  from  1905  to  1909, 
see  numerous  references  in  Library  journal,  30-34,  and  Public  libraries, 
10-14. 

SALE  DUPLICATES  AND  EXCHANGES 

Barton,  E.  M.    Best  use  of  duplicates.     Library  journal,   1885, 

10:231-34. 
Dewey,    Melvil.     Sale    duplicate    slip    catalog.    Library    journal, 

'   1888,   13:283-86. 
Exchange  and  distribution  of  state  documents.     Library  journal, 

1905,  3o:C229-3i. 


28  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

GIFTS 

Indirect  begging.     Library  journal,  1878,  3:126. 

ORDER  RECORDS 

Order   section   routine.      New   York   state   library.     88th   report, 

1905,  pp.   543-45- 
Order  section  routine  for  a  small  library.    New  York  state  library. 

88th  report,  1905,  p.  547. 
Steams,   L.   E.    Essentials   in   library   administration,   pp.   39-41 

(A.L.A.  Library  tract,  no.  6),  1905. 
Baldwin,  Emma  V.      Order  routine    in  Brooklyn  public  library. 

Public  libraries,  1906,  11:560-61. 
Jeffers,   Le   Roy.    A   successful   book   purchase   system.    Library 

journal,  1907,  32:65-67. 

COLLATION 

Collation  of  books.    Library  journal,  1876,  i :  133-34.    A  discussion. 

ACCESSION  METHODS 

Winsor,  Justin.    Shelf  lists  vs.  accession  catalogs.     Library  journal, 

1878,3:247-48. 
Poole,  W.  F.     Shelf  lists  vs.  accession  catalogs.    Library  journal, 

1878,  3:324-26. 
Bliss,    H.    E.    Economy   in   accession   records.     Library   journal, 

1903,  28:711-13. 
Fiske,   Anna   J.    Accessioning   books.     Public   libraries,    1903,   8: 

146-47. 
Hall,  Drew  B.     Classified  and  condensed  accession  record.    Library 

journal,  1903,  28:830-32. 
Weitenkampf ,  Frank.    The  accession  book — why  ?    Library  journal, 

1903,  28:295-96. 
District  of  Colimibia  public  library.    Eighth  annual  report,  1904-5, 

PP-  35-36. 


ORDER  AND  ACCESSION  DEPARTMENT  29 

Dewey,  Melvil.    Accession  book,   card  shelf-list  and  full  names. 

Public  libraries,  1904,  9:281-82. 
Stearns,  L.   E.    Essentials  in  library  administration,   pp.   43-47 

(A.L.A.  Library  tract,  no.  6),  1905. 

WITHDRAWALS  AND  REPLACEMENTS 

Wilcock,  W.  J.    Recording,  replacing  and  disposal  of  worn-out  books. 
Library  work,  4:91. 


PUBLICATIONS  OF  THE 

AMERICAN  LIBRARY  ASSOCIATION 

PUBLISHING  BOARD 

78  E.  Washington  St.,  Chicago,  III. 


Guide  to  reference  books.     Edited  by  Alice  B.  Kroeger.    Revised  and 

enlarged  edition.    Cloth,  $1.50  (postage,  11  cents). 
Literature  of  American  history.     Edited  by  J.  N.  Larned.     Cloth, 

$6  (postage,  30  cents);  sheep,  S7.50;  |  mor.,  S9. 
Hints  to  Small  Libraries.     By  Mary  W.  Piummer.    Cloth,  75  cents. 
A.  L.  A.  Booklist.  Subject  index,  1905-Jime,  1910  (v.  1-6).   Paper, 

25  cents. 
Selected  list  of  music  and  books  about  music  for  public  libraries. 

By  Louisa  M.  Hooper.    Paper,  25  cents. 

LISTS   OF   FOREIGN   BOOKS 
Selected  list  of  Hungarian  books.     Paper,  15  cents. 
Selected  list  of  German  books.    Paper,  50  cents. 
List  of  French  books.    Paper,  25  cents. 
List  of  Norwegian  and  Danish  books.    Paper,  25  cents. 
French  fiction.    Paper,  5  cents. 
List  of  Sv/edish  books.    Paper,  25  cents. 

LIBRARY   HANDBOOKS 

Intended  to  help  the  librarians  of  small  libraries  in  the  various 
details  of  library  work. 

1.  Essentials   in  library  administration.     By  Miss  L.  E.  Stearns. 

Paper,  15  cents. 

2.  Cataloging  for  small  libraries.     By  Theresa  Hitchler.     Paper, 

15  cents. 

3.  Management  of  traveling  libraries.    By  Edna  D.  Bullock.    Paper, 

15  cents. 

4.  Aids  in  book  selection.      By  Alice  B.  Kroeger.     Paper,  15  cents. 

5.  Binding  for  small  libraries.     Paper,  15  cents.    Suggestions  pre- 

pared by  the  A.  L.  A.  committee  on  bookbinding. 

6.  Mending  and  repair  of  books.    By  Margaret  W.  Brown.     Paper, 

15  cents. 

7.  U.S.  Government  documents  in  small  libraries.     By  J.  I.  Wyer,  Jr. 

Paper,  15  cents. 


l-r- 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LISRARY   SCHOOL  hlWMiCl 

This  booK  IS  aue  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 

Renewed  books  are  subjea  to  immediate  recall. 


^^^V2  5196Z 


LD  21-50m-8,'57 

(C8481sl0)476 


General  Library 

University  of  California 

Berkeley 


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251704 


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